Emendations in drug cases. This event from the Justice Department is 10 minutes. Good morning, everyone. My name is ed mullins. Joining general sessions is a distinct privilege for us to be here with you today. The association of new york citys one the oldest and largest independent Law Enforcement labor organizations in the nation. 1899, it currently represents 13,000 active and retired surgeons in the nypd. The fifth largest collectivebargaining unit of Police Officers in the United States. The brave men and women we represent are the frontline of the largest menus to delete police department. They are called on everyday to make tough decisions on the street under circumstances you in this room or in the general public can cup weekend. They treat their oak to uphold the law and protect and serve as a separate pledge sacred pledge. During National Police which, we will honor those from our ranks who made the art ultimate sacrifice. Police officers recommit to do all we can do to ensure that our brothers and sisters will not end up as names inscribed on a wall of remembrance. This is a time to give thanks for the colleagues, citizens, and Public Officials will have our backs when things get tough and dangerous. Today, we honor one of these public servants, attorney general Jeff Sessions. We live in a time when politicians and top brass in Police Departments do not always have the courage to put the interest of innocent citizens and officers safety ahead of Political Correctness and calculated reelection employees. This is why we are so grateful to have an attorney general who rejects such a cynical behavior. Bytorney general keeping local Law Enforcement and federal partners from collaborating to remove dangerous criminals from communities. To be clear, this is simply a continuation of a lifelong commitment attorney general sessions has for putting Public Safety first. Defiedorney general Silicon Valley billionaires and Public Relation firms. When they tried to push legislation that would impair Law Enforcement ability to detect and apprehend all mine predators and child per numbers by giving social media accounts and email accounts more private protection than a family film. Senator sessions didnt just give speeches. To get training and equipment necessary to respond to shooter incidents. He approached changes to the Public Safety officers benefit program to expedite assistance to the family of officers families killed in the lines of duty. As attorney general of alabama and as you as u. S. Attorney for the Southern District of alabama, Jeff Sessions has to develop strong relationships across the federal Law Enforcement community. Such collaboration is more than critical than ever as our country faces unprecedented threats. Sessions, onral behalf of the men and women of the Sergeants Benevolent Association of new york city, it is my privilege to bestow on you a honorary mentorship membership in recognition of your commitment to do what is right for the safety of our communities and for having the backs of mann force met in new york city and across this nation. I present to you this plaque. The certificate is to be signed by the officers on this stage. Thank you. Sen. Sessoin thank you some. I will cherish that. I want to thank all of you. All of you walk the streets everyday and put your life on the line every day. I respect that association and the work you do to make your city better and safer. To bean honor for me here. I am proud that the rank and file consider me a friend of the new York Police Department. You know how much i respect you and the groundbreaking work of the new York Police Department has done to reduce violence in your city. T is a National Leading team i have expressed my admiration for the successes you have achieved. There is no doubt that the last few years have been tough for Law Enforcement in america. Morlae has fallen. Fatal shootings of officers went up last year. Know what i know. The police enjoys the highest confidence of the american people. They see you every day their streets and in their neighborhoods doing their duty that you have been given. You dont do this for recognition. You dont do it for the money. Saved andfor lives streets made safer, the bad guys brought to justice. You choose this work to serve and protect us and make our country safer and better. There is a sense of satisfaction i have always felt from doing ones as we begin the National Police week, i want to thank every Law Enforcement officer in america. We honor your service. We remember the sacrifices of your brothers and sisters who have fallen in the line of duty. And we are grateful that you keep our communities safe. We here at the department of justice will continue to remind all americans what a noble calling this is so other good people will choose to answer the call just as each one of you did. I would also encourage all americans this week to find your own way to show your gratitude to the people of Law Enforcement. Bring them home cooked meals. Go to a National Memorial service. Or simply shake the hand of a Police Officer and say thank you for your service. Under president trump, this department of justice will have your back. We will do all we can to keep you safe and promote public support for honorable officers in your dangerous work. I call on everyone to remember it is not not a our privileged communities that sever from crime and violence. Regardless of wealth or race, every american has a right to demand to live in a safe neighborhood. And we will do our part. I am announcing it i have sent a memo to each of our United States attorneys last night of establishing a charging and said policy for this department of justice. Our responsibility is to fulfill our role in a way that is in a burns with law, if Public Safety and promotes respect for and consistency in our legal system and in the work that we all do. Charging and sentencing recommendations are bedrock responsibilities of any prosecutor. And a and i trust that our prosecutors in the field will make good judgments. They desire to be on handcuffed and not micromanaged from washington. They must be permitted to apply the law to the facts of every investigation. Let us be clear. We are forcing the law that congress has passed which is both our fundamental mission and our constitutional duty. Going forward, i have empowered our prosecutors to charge and pursue the most serious offense as i believe the law requires. Meet ourthat we will responsibility to enforce the law, with judgment and fairness. It is simply the right and moral thing to do what it is important to note, that unlike previous charging memoranda, i have given our prosecutors discretion to avoid sentences that would result in an in an injustice. This is a key part to president trumps promise to keep america safe. We have seen an increase in Violent Crime particularly in our cities. Chicagog st. Louis and and many others. The largest increase in murders since 1968. And we know that drugs and crime go hand in hand. They just do. The facts prove that so. Drug trafficking is an inherently and violent business. If you want to collect a drug debt, you cannot file in suit in court. In 2015, more than 52,000 americans died from a drug overdose. That is a stunning number. According to a report by the new england journal of medicine, the price of heroine is down and its availability is up. We intend to reverse this trend. We are returning to the enforcement of the law passed by congress. Plain and simple. If you are a drug trafficker, we will not look the other way. We will not be willfully blind to your misconduct. We are talking about, for example, a kilo of heroin. Five kilograms of cocaine. 10,000 kilograms of marijuana. These are not lowlevel drug offenders that we are focusing on. These are drug dealers and you drug dealers are going to prison. Working with integrity and professionalism, attorneys who implement this policy will meet the high standards required of the department of justice and together, we will win this fight. Once again, i think our brave men and women in uniform for your service and thanks again to you add in the sergeants ben evolent society of new york for this great honor. [indiscernible] why have you cruised yourselfsed recused on the decision of mr. Comey . Newsmakers,n Chuck Grassley on president trumps firing of fbi director james comey and who should be the next head of the bureau. Newsmakers this sunday here on cspan. Washington journal, live, every day with news and policy issues that impact you. Coming up this morning, Foreign Policy magazines elias discusses federalst in the investigation into potential ties between the Trump Campaign and the russian government. And then jacklin, the executive Director Director for the National Congress of American Indians discusses the interior landrtments management of under secretary reince in key. Be sure to watch washington journal, live at 7 00 am. Join the discussion. Cspan, where history unfolds daily. Cspan was created as a Public Service by americas cable and television companies. And is brought to you today by your cable or satellite provider. Former First Lady Michelle Obama discussed Childhood Obesity and her lets move initiative in washington dc, hosted by the partnership for a healthier america. She also criticized a recent Trump Administration decision